A Poetic Entreaty to Michael Moore

Dear Mr. Moore,

We cannot endure.

When insurance goes up

Our health’s in a rut,

We need something more pure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

One payer is needed in cure.

All people are in

Nobody’s left out,

This we need to secure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

We need your help for sure.

When media’s called

Our releases are balled,

Treated like manure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

We know you have allure.

When you come around

Press is like a hound!

You’re definitely not obscure.
 

Dear Mr. Moore,

We know we’re a detour.

But to get money out

of political clout,

We need to make this de jure.
 

We declare,

Universal Healthcare

The only good, fair

Way to repair

Our nation’s weird err.

 

Please join the hundreds of us who will be there at the steps of the CA State Capitol Building in Sacramento January 9th at noon! HELP US pass Senate Bill SB 810 - The CA Universal Healthcare Act!!

Americans want more government in health care

Yes, it's true. Americans actually do want more government involvement. And no, it's not some skewed poll because the same people also responded saying they want less government involvement overall.

See here:


Unexpected chart of the day: Americans want more government in health care

Another successful healthcare conference for CaHPSA

CaHPSA put on a great healthcare conference at CSU, Long Beach on Saturday, October 15. More than 115 students from across southern California attended the all day event where they learned about the need for health reform and how implementing a single-payer system in California would cover everyone while saving money. PNHP members and other distinguished speakers from CSULB, CNA, CTA and other organizations presented about the importance of continued activism as the Affordable Care Act is implemented. Break- out sessions on utilizing social media and framing equipped attendees to be more powerful advocates for our patients.

The 2011 CaHPSA Southern California Healthcare Conference was a great opportunity for the CaHPSA officers to build leadership skills. Volunteers, led by Conference Coordinator, Cindy de la Cruz, put in countless hours of planning and preparation to make sure every aspect of the conference went smoothly. Chris Brown, the Southern California President spoke about the need for students to get involved in the movement for single-payer and opportunities to do so in the coming months.

The CaHPSA team now turns it focus to our signature annual event, Lobby Day. Students will converge on Sacramento this coming January 8 for a full day of education and training to prepare attendees for the following day of action. The morning of January 9 will begin with a march through downtown Sacramento to the steps of the capitol building where we will join partner organizations and community members at a rally in support of SB 810. Student groups will then go inside to meet with our elected officials in legislative groups.

The CaHPSA team looks forward to sending a powerful message to Sacramento this January and plans to make this year, the largest Lobby Day yet!

-Joey Foy, Shearer Fellow

We'd like to know about those trade secrets!

Now there's no argument that health insurance companies still make truckloads of money even during the recession (see Huge profits for health insurers as Americans put off care - NYTimes, Executives at health insurance giants cash in as firms plan fee hikes - LA Times). Funny thing is, they still think they're vulnerable to competition, even though all the mergers of the health insurance industry in the past 20 years have left the market with on average just a couple of large insurers for any geographic area.

Well now these companies are ostensibly worried about the New York State Department of Financial Services' releasing their memos justifying steep premium increases, in the name of preserving competition. Apparently they each have "trade secrets" that they want to keep from other snooping insurance companies. That must mean they each think that their own trade secrets are better than the next insurance company's trade secrets.

Obviously, I don't think that's the case. They're much more worried about public outrage at their institutionalized practices of denying coverage and refusing to pay for care while hiking up already-exorbitant premiums again and again. “These documents, often speaking of concepts such as morbidity and anti-selection, could cause not only confusion, but also unnecessary alarm to the layman policyholder.” That's right, because the average person simply cannot understand why it's absolutely necessary for prices to be so high and coverage to be so low (and rightly so, I may add).

We have the freedom to be outraged and the right to know what these companies are doing with our money, what calculations they're making on our lives. Let's get angry, people.

Health insurers ask to keep rate increase data secret - NYTimes

Let's keep an eye on this one...

Montana Governor Seeks Waiver to Establish Single-Payer
That's right, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer announced that he is planning to ask the federal government for a waiver in order to establish a single-payer plan. Though there is no actual proposal on the table yet (is this a true single-payer setup? how is it funded?) it is definitely heartening to see that this is being taken on in states that aren't overwhelmingly Democratic (Montana is typically considered a swing state; John McCain narrowly won in 2008). As medical costs keep ballooning in this economy and as healthcare spending keep rising as a measure of GDP (in spite of PPACA), it's only a matter of time before both red and blue states everywhere start entertaining single-payer as a real option.

To add to that...

Since we're kind of on the topic of rights and wrongs, here's an article on The Incidental Economist that just makes me terribly sad that this is what's allowed in our country.

Don't forget children

Carroll is right--this isn't about freedom or liberty for those members of society who simply don't have a choice.  Gives a terrifying new ring to "Give me liberty or give me death!"

Compassion is Out of Fashion - Krugman

A rather apt remark from Paul Krugman, as we realize that the sentiments expressed are becoming the terrifying new mantra of now-mainstream extremists. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the GOP debate Monday, more specifically the cheering of the question about whether an uninsured sick man should be left to die. It doesn't matter if you're left-leaning or right-leaning, I hope we can all agree that this is morally WRONG.

The next Republican debate will be held at Google Headquarters on September 22. Demand that each candidate is asked if they agree with the crowd at the last debate, that our society should let those without health insurance die. Here.

Addendum: Ron Paul's campaign manager died of pneumonia penniless and uninsured

Oral Health and General Health are Inseparable

Aside from the 50+ million medically uninsured in the US, almost a third of all Americans are without dental insurance. That's not too surprising, considering insurance is costly and seeing the dentist, quite frankly, is never a joyful experience. So when times are tough, "optional" or "fringe" health expenditures like dental and vision are the first to go.

It's a slippery slope. Without dental insurance a dental visit can be expensive; many typical dental procedures run in the hundreds, even thousands. Heaven forbid you have a cavity, or even worse, pain-- dentistry is such that when there is pain, the problem is usually far along. It is financially infeasible for many of us to receive this sort of basic standard of care out-of-pocket (read: without insurance).

Which is why people don't. They wait until pain becomes intolerable. Realizing that seeing a dentist at an office is financially out of reach, the lucky ones get in at the nearest dental emergency room or clinic. Now standard practice would usually try to save the tooth via filling/root canal, but not here. The treatment is to have the rogue tooth pulled. Nothing is put in its place, and the patient is sent on his way.

Not that everything is fine and dandy. Typical practice after pulling a tooth is to replace that tooth. But they're not going to make you a bridge or give you an implant over at the clinic. So over time, the teeth around that gap and across from it will start moving and may become loose and even fall out. Broken and missing teeth are known to contribute to malnutrition, gum disease, as well as low self-esteem. If you don't have teeth, you don't smile. If you go to a job interview without smiling, you're probably not going to get the job.

But the truly unlucky ones keep waiting (many dental emergency rooms have day-long waits, and clinics... well you'll be put on a waiting list for God-knows-how-long) or think they can handle it on their own by being hopped up on pain meds 24/7. Unfortunately, what happened to this 24-year-old man is very possible. Again, it's a slippery slope.

Nobody talks about dentistry the way people talk about medicine. That's why it's considered acceptable for many large employers to not even offer dental insurance, and for California to completely axe adult Medi-Cal dental benefits. We need to change that. We need to pass SB 810, and we need more dentists on board with our mission. Everyone needs dental insurance, much like everyone needs health insurance. Oral health and overall health are inseparable.

Interesting Piece on Canada

Don't write off the Canadian health care system

Some good myth-busting from someone who actually studies the Canadian health care system for a living.  Again, there's a lot to learn from other countries, whether or not you believe in American "exceptionalism." (I'm only putting this in quotations because it's not technically a word, not because I'm un-patriotic! Shame on you!)

CaHPSA Northern California Healthcare Conference

Whether you're completely new to the movement or have been involved for years, this conference will be a great opportunity to learn more about single-payer health reform and what actions you can take to make it a reality in California!

The 2011 CaHPSA Northern California Healthcare Conference will explore the current state of healthcare in the United States with an emphasis on California. We will address the need for additional healthcare reform in the wake of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Participants will learn what California is doing in response to the healthcare crisis to provide universal coverage to all Californians and how to become involved with the movement. Additionally, experts in the field will provide training on legislative advocacy and how to effect change in California.

There are a limited number of tickets available for this conference. Secure your seat now by registering online here.

"An Outpouring of Reaction" and One of Our Own

Indeed, single-payer is alive and kicking. One letter to the editor triggered a remarkable flood of responses, largely in support of single-payer.  Aside from that, a letter from PNHP's (our parent nonprofit, of sorts) Molly Tavella is featured in the dialogue. You tell 'em!

Read the conversation here:  NYTimes - Letter to the editor inspires dialogue on health care

Public Option Not Quite Dead in CA?

Health care measure seeks public option, rollbacks - SF Gate

This is definitely a step forward. There's a lot to be done in order to actually "fix" the health care system as we know it now (though I don't think it could even reasonably be considered a "system"... system is a singular term, what we have now is a fragmented plurality of different interests), but this is significant for all Californians.

The intended ballot measure would basically cut all health insurance rates by 20%, allow for stronger oversight of premiums, and provide for a "public option"-- a non-for-profit, government-run health insurance option designed to compete with the private sector. The logic is that the public option would slow the growth of health care premiums in the private sector by such competition.

But what about single-payer? Maybe because it was never on the table in the national health care law negotiations, so people have simply ignored it. Single-payer health care isn't incremental-- it's a fundamental reform of health care. It is the most equitable and economically sound policy solution to both our nation's rising health care costs and the rising ranks of uninsured. By taking corporate profit out of the equation, you instead ensure money goes toward the actual provision of care. By keeping the current structureless health insurance industry in place there is no guarantee of that happening. Do you know how much money they have with which to lobby? (Hint: enough money to take the option of single-payer off the table entirely.)

Now why is this public option proposal getting attention? Probably because people now know what a public option is as a result of the national debates, few people know much about single-payer, and even fewer people know that there's actually a bill in the CA Legislature right now that would establish single-payer in California. And it's been passed twice, only to suffer the vetoes of our last governor (look up SB 810). Admittedly, the soonest reality of single-payer is still a number of years in the future, considering the current political climate and all budgetary concerns.

But hey. The public option is likely a more politically palatable measure. Although it wouldn't have the same scope of reform as single-payer, it is a proposal that is being funded and has a chance of succeeding in the near future. Shaving 20% off premiums does sound mighty nice, doesn't it? Alas, that would only put us back a couple years in premium levels. But it would be better than nothing; we should pay attention to this one.

Here's another article about it: Consumer Group Pushes Public Insurance Option For State Ballot

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Talks Facts About Single-Payer

Great video of Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, dispelling several myths concerning single-payer: a publicly-financed universal healthcare system. Medicare-- the closest thing we have to single-payer right now-- has lower costs and higher quality than the current health insurance system.  These are the facts.

The Assault on Medi-Cal

So they're planning to lower California's already devastatingly-low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Wasn't this a big deal in 2008/2009? Oh yeah, it was. And what happened then? There was a lawsuit against the cuts filed by beneficiaries and providers that is currently on the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Except they're doing it again, signing a whopping 10% reduction.
 
California, in an attempt to ameliorate short-term budget woes, is shooting itself in the foot.

What will this do?  More doctors will stop taking Medi-Cal. This will force the state's poorest and most vulnerable populations (including pregnant women, children, the disabled, and the elderly) to put off needed care and instead make emergency room visits. This isn't saving us--I mean all of us, as taxpayers--any money. In fact, it will cost us more in the long-run, as all of us have to pay for emergency room care anyway, and when more people use the emergency room because of a lack of insurance (or access), hospitals are more likely to pass the costs on to those who DO have insurance, giving the insurance companies another excuse to hike up premiums by double digits.

California also seems to forget that PPACA will put even more people on Medicaid's rosters, starting in 2014. This is why they call a Medi-Cal card a "ticket to go search for a doctor" who will actually take it.  

Simply put, this is bad policy.   

There is only one positive thing. California has to demonstrate that these cuts would not damage access to care, and it seems nearly impossible to do so. Let's just hope the federal government does not approve these cuts, as they are in clear violation of its own laws. And let the Court rule on the side of the people.

This is an excellent appeal and summary of the public health side of the situation by the chief executive officer of the California Medical Association:  Doctors say Medi-Cal reimbursement is too low

This is a quick summary of what's going on in the courts:  Dems, Officials Voice Support for Suits Challenging Medicaid Cuts


Please, give your lawmakers a piece of your mind.

Debt Ceiling Deal Not Good

An end to federally subsidized student loans for graduate professional students is only one tiny aspect of the painful cuts soon to be felt by so many. The summary below from Doctors for America outlines what the debt ceiling deal means for healthcare professionals and students:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.dr​sforamerica.org/documents/DFA_​-_Debt_Ceiling_Deal_and_Health​.pdf

Women's Health Success Amid Debt Crisis Folly

Well, at least there was SOMETHING positive in the news today. 

Co-payment free contraceptives?  A win for preventive care??  Don't mind if I do!  Even the health insurance companies would benefit (a good amount, I might add) from the cost-savings, though usually they don't have this sort of foresight.  Just hope they don't try to use this regulation as an excuse to hike up premiums again...

The full article:
 NYTimes - Insurance Coverage for Contraception Is Required

This gives me a glimmer of hope, as women's reproductive health protections have been and still are being slowly whittled away.  Let's hope this sort of thing continues as more provisions of PPACA are implemented...